ok so has this happened to anyone else... My tach and speedo will die while i'm driving and to get them to come on again all I have to do is turn the headlights on or press a window switch or press the lock button or press the brake or turn on the wipers or turn on the turn signal. also related the radio wont work with the key turned to ON unless the door is closed and hitting any of the switches mention before will cut the power to the radio for a split second.
it has got to be a bad connection or bad module somewhere. I have reseated the three big harnesses with the bolts holding them together under the steering wheel and no luck.
Thanks for any ideas

 

Does the system come back on after you release the switch?

 

check the 3 ground wires that go to the block right to the upper left of the oil filter. Those affected my speedo and tach it may be your issue also. Clean all the oil off the connection and reground them.

 

yes everything come back after the switch is released.
and i will go clean those ground wires right now.

 

make sure they ground right above your steering shaft is not broken, i broke that one and my whole electrical went haywire!

 

well i went ahead and checked my grounds. the on to the upper left of the oil filter covered in grime so i cleaned that one off and the one on the driver side of the fire wall was dirty and the screw was really rusted. i just cleaned the eye hole connector at the end of the cable and put it back on.
problem solved...but only for two days.
the "check gauges" and "seat belt" lights started coming on when i would put on the turn signal, and the radio would shut off and come back on when i turned on the head lights.
then tonight i drove it to get beer and when i came out i had no power at all. after a couple of tries i held the key in the start position for about 5 sec and it started. i turned the lights on and it died. then i turned the lights on while the car was off and i got nothing until i pushed the switch to off - THEY CAME ON WHEN I TURNED THE SWITCH OFF!!!
now the jeep starts fine and i can drive it, but if i turn the lights on or hit the brakes or do anything that requires power the jeep wants to die. also all electric motors (wipers, windows, blower) run at less than half speed.
I hooked jumpers to my friends car and it didnt help.
I guess it could be the alternator or battery, but i'm starting to think its a computer problem.

 

How are the cables at the battery itself? Make sure they are clean and tight. Also, check the battery or have it checked...specific gravity and load test.

 

all cables are clean as can be, and i plan on getting the battery tested tomorrow.

so i let the jeep sit in the parking lot for a couple hours planning on driving it home late night without lights and using the ebrake. i went back started it up and it still had the same problem. i started driving and after 2 blocks i turned the lights on and everything was back to normal. when i got home i start and killed it a few times and it was all fine.
something similar happened about 4 years ago. the jeep would not turn over. it would just crank and crank and not start. a few days later i tried it again and it was totally fine. the problem just vanished and never showed up again. very weird.

 

Let us know when you fix it and what you did. Mine has a short in the radio. The purple with red wire is grounding somewhere maybe we have the same problem.

 

got the battery tested and the charge was low. they charged the battery up for me and when i put it back in and started the it up it sounded like it cranked over much faster with more power. does this mean my battery is going or could there be a problem with the charging system? I have a red top with a winch and two piaa lights hooked up, both work fine. I always wondered if the winch would drain the battery, but i have never come across that on any forum.

 

sounds like a loose ground. check ur radio ground. the ground on the firewall.. all block grounds. mien did that to once. but mine shorted out .

 

Where do I look for that. My whole electrical system has gone haywire. Well not really the radio still works.

 

tuxfan - it's a screw that holds a wire down on the top of the firewall on the driver's side. I have a 2001, don't know if its different on yours.

 

I recently bought a 2003 model 2.4 cherokee sport model with a few issues. Please help!

Firstly, the oil light sometimes stays on when you've started the vehicle. Only happens every once in a while. Switching the car off and back on can make the light go off. I've read somewhere else that it can be the oil sensor??

Secondly, the interior lights and electronics seem to all work, but they seem to be out of sync. When i switch the headlights on, the speedometor and radio lights go off. When i open the door, the mileage indicator comes on etc. It seems you cant switch off the headlights without turning the stick twice. I.e you have to switch them off, switch them on then switch it off again.

Lastly, whilst driving the vehilce seems to die and then spring back to life seconds later. This has happened twice while i was driving on the highway. Its almost like you've turned the key back to switch off and then seconds later switch back on.

 

Do they even make an 03. Im pretty sure they stopped in 01-02 don't remember which one